My New Ride

My New Cruiser!!!

Isn't she a beaut??? I love this bike. Kenneth has been looking at getting me a bike for quite a while now. I haven't pushed the issue. Okay. Let's get the whole story:

Kenneth and I have been together since August, 1992. That is a full 18 years. In this time he has NEVER known me to get on a bike. Everyone else in the family has a bike except for Mom. All the kids have two bikes each! Mom had none. I didn't push the issue for a couple reasons. One: I haven't ridden a bike in over 18 years. Would I remember? Could I balance myself on a bike? Would I fall? All these fears flooded my brain. Two: I am fat. Would I even fit on a bike? Would the bike hold my weight? Could I ride and balance on a bike with my weight?

I can talk myself out of a lot of things given some time. Well, we were at Walmart getting a few things we needed for the weekend: cokes, lemonade, hamburger buns, and stretchy string. Kenneth decided to look at bikes (a surprise for Mom he told the kids). He picked one out and asked me how I liked it. I realized that today I would be getting a bike. Really this is my FIRST bike. I don't remember having a child size bike as a kid. I do remember having an adult 10 speed as a teenager, but that bike was my mom's bike that she had. I didn't have one of my own. So officially this is my first bike that is MINE.

I decided not to try it out in the store because well, there were people around and they were looking at me. Plus my kids were in the way and I wouldn't be able to get a good feel of it going up and down the short aisle. So we paid for it and walked it out of the store, put it up on the top of the car and headed home.

Okay so here is where the sweaty palms start. First I have no tennis shoes at the river with me. I had forgotten to pack them. But that excuse didn't work on the kids. They said I would be fine with my hot pink crocs. They did insist that I wear a helmet and I agreed. If I was going to fall off this bike in front of everyone I didn't need my brains splat all over the road for all to see. Cause, honestly if I was going down everyone would feel it like an earthquake! ha ha. (but seriously)

I tried to get the kids to go do something else while I try out this bike. I could feel the pressure of all the little eyes watching me and couldn't handle it, but they weren't budging. We adjusted the seat, adjusted the handle bars, adjusted the nuts on every part of the bike. Okay, no more stalling. I have to do this. (and I am scared!)

Well, I have to tell you, I lived to see the next day! The old adage is right, you never forget how to ride a bike. I got on and peddled and peddled and peddled. The whole family was following me and I was out in front, wind in my hair, not a care in the world except for the fear of falling.

We rode all over the park that day and had a wonderful time. The whole family now has bikes and we can go places now.

Kenneth said that he didn't mind spending the money for it because it was an item that we would take on our "trip".

Now, I need a new cushy seat for my rear parts and a basket for the front and a little bell to ring a ling a ling.

PS: in the photo of just me and the bike, you can see our camper in the background and you can see our suburban in the background of the photo of me and the kids.